Marx Lane
An Inventory of Marx Playset Figures and Accessories
Manufactured from 1951 to 1979
 
Appendix H-1 - Playset Figures
 of the American Revolutionary War
Contents of this web site may not be reproduced or duplicated for use on the Internet or for commercial purposes without permission by Eric Johns.


Table of Contents
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This Page
Continental Soldiers
British Soldiers
Indians
Johnny Tremain Character Figures
Horses
Miniature Revolutionary War Playset
     
Other Pages
Page 2 - Other Playset-related Figures
Page 3 - Playset Accessories
Page 4 - List of Playsets
     
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Continental Soldiers
PL-785 (except Pose 1)

 These 54mm figures were in the company's initial Revolutionary War playsets, released in 1957.  The nine foot soldiers were in a light powder blue plastic, but for some reason the mounted pose was produced in a different mold and was usually in a darker shade of blue.  The color morphed into a waxy blue in later playsets, which does not show the details of the figures as well as the original color.

The mounted pose is a mystery.  It is clearly smaller than the other poses, about 50mm rather than 54mm tall, a big difference when you are dealing with such small figures.  The left hand appears to be in a position to hold the reins, but the right hand is held back almost as if the figure is holding something in it, though there is nothing there.  Perhaps this is a typical riding pose, but then since every other figure appears battle ready, just how does this weaponless figure fit in?  The figure appears almost a second thought, as if someome suddenly realized that there were no Continental mounted poses.  The pose was not included in the last few playsets.


1.  Mounted with arms at sides 2.  Standing with flag



3.  Standing, shooting rifle 4.  Kneeling, shooting rifle



5.  Walking, pistol in left hand 6.  Sword pointed forward, left hand raised



7.  Bayonetting downward 8.  Playing drum



9.  Running, rifle in right hand 10.  Walking, rifle on left shoulder


                                                    
British Soldiers
PL-786

      The initial Revolutionary War playset (#3401) included 36 Redcoats...but only six poses, as shown below.  That included 9 marching figures.  As PFPC Issue 32 points out, "The lack of additional British poses is as much a disappointment for today's avid collectors as it must have been for kids of the 50's."  Of course, us modern day "big kids" have other sources, so we can add a variety of new poses made by other manufacturers.  But, sadly, for Marx purists, this is it for the British Army according to Marx playsets.

     The 54mm figures initially were made in a soft red plastic, with the color changing to a less attractive waxy red in the 1972 Sons of Liberty Heritage playset.
1.  Officer mounted with sword raised 2.  Walking with rifle on left shoulder



3.  Running, rifle at waist 4.  Officer with stick or whip in left hand
   
5.  Standing, shooting rifle 6.  Kneeling, shooting rifle



Indians
PL-787

 Indians were represented in two of Marx' Revolutionary War playsets, the Revolutionary War Set #3404 and Fort Mohawk #4752.  The first included 14 Indians in eight poses from the basic wild west mold of 54mm Indians.  The ninth pose -- the mounted chief -- was not included.  Fort Mohawk, however, did have the mounted chief, as well as the totem pole made in the same mold as the figures and a running Indian pony.  The Indians in both sets were made in soft plastic yellow.  

1.  Mounted chief
 Totem pole
Made in same mold as Indian figures		 2.  Standing,  holding bow and lance 3.  Standing, shooting bow
4.  Walking with tomahawk and scalp 5.  Kneeling, shooting bow 6.  Standing with lance and shield
7.  Running with tomahawk and shield 8.  Dancing with drum 9.  Running with club


 
Character figures for Johnny Tremain Playset
PL-892

 This is a nice group of character figures that added some much-needed non-fighting figures to the playset.  They are extremely well detailed.  Unfortunately they were included in only one playset, the Johnny Tremain set.  That set was based on the short-lived television show Johnny Tremain, so that the playset was equally short-lived.  As a result, you'll need to do a little searching to find original character figures available for sale.

They were produced in cream-colored soft plastic, which the company used for almost all its character figures.  The four figures I have are very close to a white color.  They have been re-issued in other colors.

A "complete set of matched mint" character figures went for $375 in an Ebay auction in June 2010.

Celia (Pose 3 below) is by far Marx' most attractive female figure among playsets of 18th and 19th Century America.  It is unfortunate that Marx did not create playset character figures of the many personages involved in the creation of our nation: George Washington, Benjamin Franklin, Thomas Jefferson, Patrick Henry, Betsy Ross, Benedict Arnold, General Lafayette, General "Mad" Anthony Wayne, British General Cornwallis, and the list goes on.
1.  Paul Revere, mounted holding whip
Photo courtesy of David Schafer.		 2.  Johnny Tremain
3.  Cilia
Photo courtesy of David Schafer.		 4.  James Otis
5.  Rab Silsbee 6.  Sam Adams
Recent Price Lines I have noticed
James Otis $44 May 2011 Ebay
Sam Adams $47 May 2011 Ebay



Horses

     Wild West Horses
       PL-610

 For most Revolutionary War horses, Marx simply used 54mm soft plastic horses from wild west playsets.  These included the running, stopping, and rearing poses.  Initial sets included two of each pose.  The longhorn steer in this mold (see Wild West Horses, Cattle, and Animals page) was not included in these sets.
1.  Running horse 2.  Stopping horse

3.  Rearing horse

     Wild West Cavalry Horse
       PL-unknown

 The final two Revolutionary War playsets -- #3408 in 1959 and the Heritage set in 1972 -- swtiched to the horse used for the U. S. Cavalary in Wild West playsets.  
U.S. Cavalry horse, used in final two 54mm Revolutionary War playsets

     Running Indian horse
       PL-unknown

 Because it included the mounted chief Indian pose, Fort Mohawk included one running Indian horse, again from the company's Wild West playsets.  Reins on these horses were easily broken, and it is difficult today to find an original with reins intact.



Miniature Revolutionary War Playset
 
 In the early 1960s, Marx' Hong Kong operations made several miniature playsets with figures about an inch tall.  One of them was a Revolutionary War set, but I have very little information on it.  According to articles in PFPC 18 and Playset Magazine 39, the set included poses downsized from the 60mm Warriors of the World figures shown on Page 2.  It included four cannons, a 4-horse limber and cassion, two "destroyed" cabins, and various other appropriate accessories.  According to PM 39, it included only one horse...for the Paul Revere figure.  I hope that I will eventually be able to describe the set and provide photos of figures and accessories.  


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Contents of this web site may not be reproduced or duplicated for use on the Internet or for commercial purposes without permission by Eric Johns.